Okinawa assembly members demand resignation of LDP parliamentarians

November 27 & 28, 2013

Members of four opposition parties in the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly on November 26 demanded the resignation of five parliamentarians of the Liberal Democratic Party who reneged on their campaign promise to block the relocation of the U.S. Futenma base within the prefecture.

The four parties are the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Political Local Party of Okinawa, and Kenmin Net.

At an emergency press conference they held on that day, JCP assembly member Toguchi Osamu said that they strongly protest against the Abe Cabinet for its attempt to turn a blind eye to Okinawan consensus, as reflected in a statement signed by all 41 local municipal heads, to oppose the national government’s base relocation plan.

SDP representative Nakasone Satoru criticized the five Dietmembers’ withdrawal of their election promise as outrageously insulting the foundation of democracy.

Okinawa’s two local dailies also criticized these parliamentarians’ abrupt change in positions in their editorials on the same day.

Ryukyu Shimpo stated that the five LDP members, easily bowing to the national government’s pressure by withdrawing their election promise, should not be qualified to continue as politicians. “They should resign and seek voters’ response through an election,” it added.

Okinawa Times in its editorial also calls for their resignation, stating, “To break their promise is a suicidal act for politicians.”

It also criticized the Abe Cabinet for trying to “forcibly promote its base policies by ignoring Okinawans’ wishes and using its power arrogantly with threats of intimidation.”

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On November 27, the four opposition parties of the prefectural assembly released an urgent statement demanding that Okinawa Governor Nakaima Hirokazu turn down the national government’s request to approve the reclamation of waters in the Henoko district, Nago City, for the U.S. base construction.

Nago City Mayor Inamine Susumu on the same day submitted a similar statement to Governor Nakaima.